New England Conservatory (NEC)’s Opera Studies Department presents Francis Poulenc’s opera, Dialogues of the Carmelites, streaming June 23-24, 2021.

The Martyrs of Compiègne, Carmelite nuns, are caught in the closing days of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. In 1794 they were guillotined in Paris for refusing to renounce their vocation. Blanche de la Force is an aristocratic novice who flees her convent when it is desecrated, only to return and join her fellow nuns as they are led to their execution.

The three-act opera, divided into sixteen scenes, is sung in English, and the production is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Recorded in NEC's state-of-the-art Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre with piano accompaniment, the opera is free and will be available at the scheduled broadcast times by visiting:

June 23, 7pm ET: https://necmusic.edu/events/poulenc-dialogues-carmelites-june23
June 24, 7pm ET: https://necmusic.edu/events/poulenc-dialogues-carmelites-june24

The performances will be available to stream on-demand for two weeks following the premieres.

Artistic Team:
Joshua Major, stage director
BallSquare Films, film production
Erica Brookhyser, Guest Artist
Michael Strauss, musical preparation and piano
Daniel Wyneken, musical preparation and piano
Erica J. Washburn, choral preparation
Da-Yu Liu and Seulah Noh, choral pianists
Cesara Walters, stage manager
Jeff Adelberg, Lighting Design
Johnathan Smith, Sound

June 23 Cast:

Angela Yam, Blanche
Raji Venkat, Constance
Erica Brookhyser, Madame de Croissy – Guest Artist
Margaret Malone, Madame Lidoine
Ana Mora, Mère Marie
Juliette Kaoudji, Mère Jeanne
Lizzy Stant, Soeur Mathilde
Andrew Stack, Marquis/Dr. Javelinot
Anthony León, Chevalier
Samuel Rosner, L'Aumônier
Matthew Christopher, Jailor/2nd Commissioner/1st Officer
Josaphat Contreras, 1st Commissioner/Thierry
NUNS: Chihiro Asano, Marina Beeson, Brittany Bryant, Marissa Fieland, Molly Flynn, Lauren Guthridge, Emma Robertson, Katherine Skafidas, Huanhuan Xie

June 24 Cast:

Michaela Kelly, Blanche
Sara Buggy, Constance
Erica Brookhyser, Madame de Croissy – Guest Artist
Allyson Bennett, Madame Lidoine
Darby Clinard, Mère Marie
Juliette Kaoudji, Mère Jeanne
Lizzy Stant, Soeur Mathilde
Andrew Stack, Marquis/Dr. Javelinot
Samuel Rosner, Chevalier
Philippe L’Esperance, L'Aumônier
Matthew Christopher, Jailor/2nd Commissioner/1st Officer
Josaphat Contreras, 1st Commissioner/Thierry
NUNS: Chihiro Asano, Marina Beeson, Brittany Bryant, Marissa Fieland, Molly Flynn, Lauren Guthridge, Emma Robertson, Katherine Skafidas, Huanhuan Xie